y?" asked Jessie, regarding
the table with a look of mingled sadness and amazement.

"All--every farthing," replied Kate, "and I consider the result a
triumph of domestic economy."

The sisters were about to sit down to enjoy their triumph when a
bounding step was heard on the stair.

"That's Ruth," exclaimed Kate, rising and hurrying to the door; "quick,
get out the other cup, Jessie. Oh! Ruth, darling, this is good of you.
We were sure you would come this week, as--"

She stopped abruptly, for a large presence loomed on the stair behind
Ruth.

"I have brought mamma to see you, Kate--the Misses Seaward, mamma; you
have often heard me speak of them."

"Yes, dear, and I have much pleasure in making the Misses Seaward's
acquaintance. My daughter is very fond of you, ladies, I know, and the
little puss has brought me here by way of a surprise, I suppose, for we
came out to pay a very different kind of visit. She--"

"Oh! but mamma," hastily exclaimed Ruth, who saw that her mother, whom
she had hitherto kept in ignorance of the circumstances of the poor
ladies, was approaching dangerous ground, "our visit here _has_ to do
with--with the people we were speaking about. I have come," she added,
turning quickly to Miss Jessie, "to transact a little business with
you--about those poor people, you remember, whom you were so sorry for.
Mamma will be glad to hear what we have to say about them. Won't you,
mamma?"

"Of course, of course, dear," replied Mrs Dotropy, who, however,
experienced a slight feeling of annoyance at being thus dragged into a
preliminary consideration of the affairs of poor people before paying a
personal visit to them. Being good-natured, however, and kind, she
submitted gracefully and took note, while chairs were placed round the
table for this amateur Board, that ladies with moderate means--obviously
_very_ moderate--appeared to enjoy their afternoon tea quite as much as
rich people. You see, it never entered into Mrs Dotropy's mind--how
could it?--that what she imagined to be "afternoon tea" was dinner, tea,
and supper combined in one meal, beyond which there lay no prospective
meal, except what one penny might purchase.

With a mysterious look, and a gleam of delight in her eyes, Ruth drew
forth a well-filled purse, the contents of which, in shillings,
sixpences, and coppers, she poured out upon the tea-table.

"There," she said triumphantly, "I have collected all that myself, and
I'v